They do, however, need to be set up by the donor which makes it less likely people will do so.
Damn right. SOs can only be set up online for people with some types of bank accounts. I haven't done a standing order in decades and the charity I work for doesn't solicit new ones cos they are too much hassle compared to a DD.
To set up a SO for WPUK I would have to ring my own bank fight through a call centre and electronic tele-questionaire to get them to send me a form which I then have to complete with the WPUK details (which I have to find somewhere, not to mention finding a biro if I still own one) and then I have to find a stamp and find an envelop and walk to a postbox (GB has closed all the post offices round here but post boxes still exist and I guess they are emptied) to post back the form to the bank. Perhaps 30 minutes all told?
To set up a DD I go on line with a sort code and bank account number, the bank address autocompletes on the form and it takes about 45 seconds.
Perhaps I should post you a cheque and do a DD next year. Can you accept CAF cheques yet?
Andrew